Indigenous Data Network

Welcome
The Indigenous Data Network (IDN) assists Indigenous communities in developing the technical capability and resources to enable them to manage their data for community advancement. By strengthening communities’ agency in their data, the network empowers them to make informed decisions about their own development.
Bringing together community, university, government, non-government and private sector partners, the IDN creates an ongoing community of practice to address a range of shared concerns related to: data collection, management, discovery, and access; capability development; negotiation with government and non-government organisations; and educational programs.
The Data Network is led by a Steering Committee. A secretariat and administrative hub are based at the University of Melbourne, which is well-positioned in this space given its breadth of experience in Indigenous scholarship and in digital social sciences and humanities for more than two decades.
Shared concerns
- Identifying best practice in community data collection, management and access.
- Assisting Indigenous communities to apply best practice in data management by providing technical and educational resources.
- Developing specific strategies and approaches to make better use of data over which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have ownership.
- Creating a directory of databases to increase awareness of existing data sets and how to access them.
- Integrating and archiving Indigenous datasets and preventing the orphaning of important datasets which would be detrimental to communities.
- Negotiating with government and non-government organisations to ensure data activities are aligned with Indigenous priorities, and that data collected is available for sharing under appropriate conditions.
- Working with the Indigenous Research Exchange to develop guidelines and best-practice case studies for research and data analysis in evaluation to improve Indigenous outcomes.
- Coordinating educational programs to ensure the development of a critical mass of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with expertise in the data sciences.
- Developing panels of experts who can provide advice and assistance on data issues.

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Minister for Education Dan Tehan has announced that the Morrison Government is investing in research infrastructure to support improved management and use of Indigenous data collections.
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At the 2020 eResearch Australasia conference, IDN National Coordinator James Rose and Data Analytics Coordinator Darren Clinch shared the presentation 'Indigenous Australian Population Geometries: Tailoring Geospatial Data Structure for Enhanced Community Service Delivery.'
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The Indigenous Mapping Workshop Australia is being delivered a little differently in 2020. The IMW Australia - On Demand has been purpose built for our participants to access culturally appropriate training from across country and community while we have found ourselves unable to travel during this time.
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Ever considered how technology might promote discrimination or impair our ability to make shrewd decisions? Or wondered how an AI doctor might diagnose illness just through listening?
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Indigenous researchers and experts from around the country are leading a $1.3 million project that will allow Indigenous community organisations to better analyse their data and make decisions to improve outcomes for their communities.
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On 27 July 2020, Melbourne Data Analytics Platform (MDAP) launched its first annual report since launching in 2019, 'Shaping the Future of Data Intensive Research'. The report showcases some of MDAP's successful collaborations with researchers across University of Melbourne faculties, and its ideas on the future of data-intensive research.
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On 21 July 2020, IDN Researcher Joel Liddle spoke with netral Australian regional newspaper Alice Springs News on the importance of using Arrernte language and imagery in public spaces in and around Alice Springs.
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On 3 July 2020, Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt, announced the formal commencement of the IDN's work on Closing the Gap Priority Reform 4, in collaboration with the Coalition of Peaks.
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On 3 July 2020, IDN Data Analytics Coordinator Darren Clinch joined the Director of QUT's Carumba Institute Peter Anderson and others, to discuss the relevance of data science in working against racism in national policing.
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On 1 May 2020, as part of the Collaborative Conference on Computational & Intensive Data Science, the IDN's James Rose, Kalinda Griffiths and Darren Clinch presented a paper Indigenous Data Governance in Australia, summarising the functions and objectives of the IDN.
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On 20 March 2020, as part of the 15th Plenary of the Research Data Alliance, IDN Steering Committee member Kalinda Griffiths was to join members of the Global Indigenous Data Alliance on a panel to discuss developments in Indigenous data governance and sovereignty.
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On 17 March 2020, as part pf the 15th Plenary of the Research Data Alliance, the IDN was to co-host with the RDA Indigenous Data Sovereignty Interest Group, Global Indigenous Data Alliance, and First Nations Information Governance Centre, a workshop titled Identifying Data Science Tools to Enhance Indigenous Data Sovereignty for Health Data.
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On 12 February 2020, the Prime Minister made a speech to Parliament in which he reiterated the government's commitment to working together with the Coalition of Peaks and the Indigenous Data Network on the development of Closing the Gap Priority Reform 4.
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On 23 January 2020, the Prime Minister announced the engagement of the Indigenous Data Network in collaboration with Coalition of Peaks, to implement Priority Reform 4 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
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On the 27th of November 2019, the Kaiela Institute and the Indigenous Data Network co-hosted the inaugural Indigenous Data Governance Working Group at the Rumbalara Football Netball Club, Shepparton.
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As part of the National Survey on Indigenous-controlled Research Organisations, the IDN presented at the ARDC Data and Services Summit in Brisbane on October 21, 2019.
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The IDN is collaborating with the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) through its Data and Services Discovery Activity to understand current data management practices around Indigenous data assets.
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Dr James Rose, Senior Research Fellow with the IDN, presented at the 2019 Humanities, Arts and Culture Data Summit. The summit explored new horizons for data-driven humanities and arts research, digital cultural collections and research infrastructure.
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IDN co-founded Professor Marcia Langton, National Coordinator Dr James Rose and Researcher Joel Liddle formed a panel titled 'The Structure of Indigenous Data', hosted as part of the symposium 'Finding ways to make unstructured data usable Data', convened by the Data, Systems and Society Research Network, the Petascale Campus Initiative and the School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne.
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On 31 July the Indigenous Data Network and the Kaiela Institute co-hosted a workshop with government and community-controlled organisations about the holding, controlling, and processing of Indigenous data.
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Join Professor Marcia Langton, Dr James Rose and Dr Len Smith as they discuss Digital Curation in the Indigenous Data Network.
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Dr James Rose talks about the Indigenous Data Network as part of the Indigenous Australia and Digital Futures seminars series.
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Indigenous Data Governance Working Group
The Indigenous Data Network is the convenor of the Indigenous Data Governance Working Group (the IDG Working Group), which brings together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations, Commonwealth, state and territory agencies and departments, and tertiary education and other research institutions, to enhance the coordination of Indigenous data governance nationally.
IDG Working Group meetings
The IDG Working Group meets regularly to coordinate joint data governance activities among participants at national and regional levels. IDG Woking Group meetings are coordinated and led by the IDN and co-convened together with a different Working Group Partner on a rotating basis. IDG Working Group terms of reference, reports and other documentation are generated and maintained by the IDN.
Inaugural meeting of the Working Group
The inaugural meeting of the IDG Working Group was co-convened by the IDN and the Kaiela Institute in the regional Victorian town of Shepparton on 27 November 2019. Participating agencies, departments and organisations included:
- The National Indigenous Australians Agency
- The Australian Productivity Commission
- The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
- The Australian Institute of Family Studies
- The Australian Bureau of Statistics
- The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services
- The Centre for Victorian Data Linkage
- Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria
- Generation Victoria (GenV) – Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
- Empowered Communities
- Coalition of Peaks, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)
- The Kimberley Land Council
- Barang Regional Alliance
- Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service Brisbane
- National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network
- Queensland University of Technology
- Melbourne Data Analytics Platform
- The University of Melbourne
Find out more
To find out more about the IDG Working Group and its meeting schedule, please contact the IDN at data-indigenous@unimelb.edu.au.
Resources
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Information Sheets
A series of information sheets about the Indigenous Data Network, its partnerships and technologies.
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Project Documents
Summary documents and roadmaps.
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Indigenous Data Sovereignty Symposium
Presentations and resources from the Indigenous Data Sovereignty Symposium, held at the University of Melbourne on 11 and 12 October 2017.
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Email the Indigenous Data Network at data-indigenous@unimelb.edu.au.
You can also follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Founder
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National Coordinator
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Data Analytics Coordinator
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Research Coordinator
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Software Engineer